The packaging industry in South Africa is currently very competitive. As a result, manufacturers of bags, or packages, are seeking ways to enhance their products. Notably, in the field of the production of polyethylene and woven polypropylene bags, manufacturers are producing packaging systems including handles, which can be attached to and punched into the bags. The methods currently employed to manufacture such packaging systems and bags are laborious and ill suited for automatic production.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method of producing a bag which is better suited for automatic production of bags than the current methods used to produce bags of which the Applicant is aware.
It is believed that the method of forming a bag in accordance with the invention can advantageously be used to produce bags of the block bottom type and the block bottom valve type. It will be appreciated that the term “bags of the block bottom type” refers to bags having a generally rectangular shaped base. Such bags can be closed at both opposed ends and can have a rectangular shaped base at each end. The term “bags of the block bottom valve type” refers to bags which have a generally rectangular shaped base at one end and an open mouth at an opposed end. It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the production of such bags only, but can be used to form bags having bases of varying shapes, such as circular, oval, multi-sided and the like.